OneStone® Pebbles Surfaces of Revolution
 The Surfaces of Revolution Pebble
provides a high-quality visualization for what is often perceived to be one of the
more difficult topics in the calculus syllabus. The 2D display shows a user-defined
2D curve, while the 3D display shows the surface created by rotating the 2D curve
about an axis. The curve and surface can be animated by varying any constant in
the expression, as described on the Using Pebbles
page.
This Pebble accepts all the standard math
operators plus the variable X or Y; expressions may use one or
the other, but not both. Functions are graphed according to the following rules:
- Functions in which X is the only independent variable are drawn in the 2D Graph
as the curve Y = F(X). This curve is then rotated about the X axis to form the surface
shown in the 3D graph.
- Functions in which Y is the only independent variable are drawn in the 2D Graph
as X = F(Y). This curve is then rotated about the Y axis to form the surface shown
in the 3D graph.
Click the 'Launch...' link below to start the Surfaces of Revolution Pebble. The
process of installing and running a Pebble for the first time is explained on the
Installing Pebbles page. Running
one after the first time is quicker: the JOGL package doesn't have to be downloaded,
plus something other than the generic 'Starting Java' image is displayed during
start-up.
A special thanks to Dr. Bryan Shader of the University of Wyoming for suggesting
this topic.
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